Appying for a Student Visa
After you have applied to a German university and have received admission to that university, a Studienkolleg or language school, first thing in the list of things to do is applying for a student visa at a German embassy or consulate.
If you have not applied for any visa yet, the process can be somewhat overwhelming, especially if you are planning on staying in Germany for a longer time. Visa application can take a while sometimes more than a month. Therefore, you want to have everything ready to start the process.
First scrutinize all information given by the admitting university and the appropriate German embassy in your country.
Then make an appointment at the German embassy or consulate, which might lie some weeks in the future. You want to make sure to have everything you need at hand not to be turned away and make a new appointment and wait again.
To apply for a student visa in Germany you need the following documents:
- Completed visa application form, printed and signed.
- Two current biometric passport photographs 35 by 45 millimeters. Take another one for the residence permit in Germany.
- Valid passport (not older than 10 years and at least valid for 6 more months after entering Germany)
- Offer or conditional offer by a German University
- Admission to the Studienkolleg or language school if university offer is conditional
- German language certificate on the level necessary to attend Studienkolleg (B1) or university (C1), according to the CEFR scale of the European Council
- proof of your previous secondary education (attested copies of your high school degree or university entrance permit in your country)
- APS certificate if necessary (China, Vietnam)
- TestAS certificate if necessary
- Complete Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of motivation for studying in Germany
- Proof that you can provide for your livelihood in Germany (either a declaration of commitment by a relative with adequate funds or a blocked account)
- Proof of health insurance covering the complete time in Germany (not travel health insurance)
- Fee (according to the schedule of fees of the German embassy in your country)
Please also contact the visa bureau of the local German embassy or consulate to learn about additional local provisions.
Before you leave for Germany make a photocopy of each document. If possible, ask the German embassy to attest (beglaubigen) the copy. You might need it. Put the copies somewhere apart from the original. If you lose the original, the attested copy can save you a lot of trouble.